Disposable razors are usually sold in card containers which provide means for holding a plurality of razors as well as mounting means. Disposable razors are configured along separate axes which are normal to each other. This means that a package must be designed to accommodate a plurality of razor heads which is generally at right angles from the handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,664 issued May 12, 1981 to Roy P. Dixon et al describes a typical disposable razor pack having a card which surrounds a major proportion of the handles of the multiple razor pack and has an opening for receiving the razor heads. In this instance, a cut is made in the card near the top portion which is then folded upward to provide a covering for the razor head. While the design is simple and inexpensive, only the top of the razor head is covered with the sides being exposed. As a result, each individual razor must have a separate cap which at least protects the blade surface from being gouged during transit and from inadvertently cutting the user. These separate caps can be easily dislodged and must be precisely manufactured to provide a sufficient barrier from extraneous dirt which may infiltrate the space remaining between the individual cap and razor.
When lubricating strips, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,821 are added to caps of disposable razors it is necessary to provide a barrier to moisture to prevent these strips from becoming prematurely tacky. Since the strips are made of relatively soft material they can be easily gouged and tight fitting caps which would provide a suitable moisture barrier would not be otherwise suitable for protecting the strip, because of the likelihood of gouging from the mating operation. The use of the package disclosed in the Dixon Patent, even if individual caps are present for the individual razors, does not, provide a moisture barrier and becomes less than ideal, therefore, when a lubricating strip is added to the cap of a disposable razor.
A similar razor pack is disposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,306 issued July 27, 1982 to Martin E. Lightsey wherein separate card flaps are used to protect oppositely positioned groups of razor heads. The opposite positioning, according to the invention, allows for hanging from a centrally positioned hole with the card in balance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,047 issued to Derrick R. Gatley on Jan. 29, 1985 discloses a razor card pack in which the handles of the razor are characterized by a slot positioned on the upper portion thereof a tongue of the card pack extends into the groove thereby positioning all of the individual razors by butting the handles. This patent also discloses the concept of a plastic sleeve positioned completely around all of the razor heads. The razors are positioned inward so that the cards extends beyond both ends of the plastic sleeves.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 282,242 issued Jan. 21, 1986 in my name, depicts a card for disposable razors in which the individual razor heads have covers with each of the razors being separated by these covers, in an open area totally enclosed within a card segment at both ends as well as the top and bottom. My design patent differs from the Gatley Patent in that, among other features, the card surrounds a portion of the handles of the razor with another portion extending beyond the edge of the card, while the Gately pack extends along most of the length of the razor with the bottom of the razors terminating approximately at the bottom of the card itself. Each of these configurations has disadvantages associated either protection of the cap, cost, or difficulty of assembly.
Other relevant patents, which relate to card packaging or to multiple disposable razor packaging, but are believed the less relevant to the subject invention than those discussed above or U.S. Pat. No. 2,974,782 issued Mar. 14, 1961 to E. H. Walter; U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,452 issued Feb. 21, 1984 to John F. Kelly; U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,392 issued July 22, 1986 Wolfgang Althaeus; U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,980 issued to M. L. Clabby on May 29, 1984; U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,002 issued Mar. 30, 1982 to Clemens A. Iten; and the U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,533 issued Sept. 4, 1979 to Robert L. Maitland.